Ezekiel 18:20

Sin Parents and children Justice Guilt and conscience

¹⁸ As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.

¹⁹ Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live.

The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

²¹ But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

²² None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.
KJV: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
WEB: The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
ASV: The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
DARBY: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
BLB: The soul sinning, it will die. The son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

ÅB: Den som synder, han skal dø; en sønn skal ikke bære sin fars misgjerning, og en far skal ikke bære sin sønns misgjerning; den rettferdiges rettferdighet skal hvile over ham, og den ugudeliges ugudelighet skal hvile over ham.
OTB: Den sjel som synder, den skal dø. Sønnen skal ikke bære farens misgjerning, og faren skal ikke bære sønnens misgjerning. Den rettferdiges rettferdighet skal være over ham selv, og den ugudeliges ugudelighet skal være over ham selv.
B1930: Den som synder, han skal dø; en sønn skal ikke bære sin fars misgjerning, og en far skal ikke bære sin sønns misgjerning; den rettferdiges rettferdighet skal hvile over ham, og den ugudeliges ugudelighet skal hvile over ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Kings 14:6
Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
Read in context
Deuteronomy 24:16
Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
Read in context
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Read in context
Jeremiah 31:29–30
“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’
Read in context
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 25:4
Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
Read in context
1 Kings 8:32
then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
Read in context
Romans 2:6–9
God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
Read in context